New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions here.

The meeting was "reaffirming an ancient connection," said Vikas Swarup, spokesman of Ministry of External Affairs in a tweet soon after the meeting.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders.

During the course of the day, he is scheduled to hold several important bilateral meetings, including with the Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, the Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Lofven, and the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.

Earlier in the day, he held meetings with King Abdullah of Jordan and had a pull aside with Kenny Davis Anthony, Prime Minister of St Lucia.